It is a shame that this book is not being published. I hope that is changed in the future and I have the chance to read an arc at that time and review it fully at that point. I am giving it 5 stars in support of the author and against the mob mentality that is seeping into the YA community.

When I read the news that the author decided to stop the release of the book due to the criticism and the controversy of some themes, such as slavery and racism, I was very sad and confused. I feel this way because despite my personal issues, I found the novel quite good. The writing was good, the story interesting and the characters showed depth. It was a book with a lot of potential.
Ana was the main character of the book. She is a princess with an amazing power, she can control blood, and it was used against her in the past and made her the main suspect in her father's murder. So this story is Ana's journey to find the real killer, take her revenge and prove her innocence. I liked how she constantly fought not to use her powers because even she was scared of them. I believe she changed during her journey, mostly because of her relationship with May and Ramson.
Ramson was my favourite character and reason I liked the book. He was definitely the one with the most depth and growth. In the beginning he was selfish, cunning, funny and smart. After some events and when he saw how people with Affinities were treated he started changing, and by the end he was the hero of the story.

The things that I didn't like were mostly related to scenes and characters that reminded me too much of different novels. One example is the relationship between Ana and May witch seemed exactly like the one between Katniss and Rue (The Hunger Games). There was even a scene that I found almost the same as in the other book.
The other element that was confusing to me was the language. It started with Russian surnames and words, but I found some mistakes and I am not even speaking the language and then there were words in French and Scottish.
Now, as to the controversy, I understand that the constant mentioning of slavery and the detailed descriptions of gruesome deaths are very uncomfortable. There were times that it felt heavy to me too., but I believe that this was the main theme of the book. From what I personally understand, the author wanted to make us feel that way, like Ana felt. She knew this was wrong, that it was inhuman and she decided to do something about it.
I would like to read the rest of the series, but I am not even it's going to happen.

I want to thank the publisher, Amélie Wen Zhao and NetGalley for the Arc.

Due to the book being pulled from publication before I could read it, I will not be reviewing it at this time. I respect the author's decision to pull her book so that she can improve it and work on it before it is released to the general public though, and I hope she finds ease in fixing the issues that reviewers have pointed out to her. I would be happy to read the revised version when it is available.

Unfortunately, I was not able to read this book before it was archived. In respect of the authors wishes this book had a stop of publication in regards to some controversial topics within the book. I hope to be able to read something else from this author in the future so that I can write an honest review for her. Thank you to the author and publishers for giving me the opportunity.

When I started this book, I had no idea that it had essentially been blacklisted. I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book because as a girl with a Russian bloodline/heritage, I was obsessed with the story of Princess Anastasia Romanova growing up. Put her in a slightly inspired by/loosely based fantasy storyline filled with powers, on a quest for vengeance and truth and I was sold - I needed to read this. I get that we live in a world and a time where someone, somewhere, can be offended by everything and anything. Anything and everything can be controversial and I think we’ve come to a place where we just have to, unfortunately, accept that. But this review is strictly my own takeaway from this book.

After reading it, I honestly don’t see where all the uproar is coming from. Yes, there are indentured servants who are auctioned off to the highest bidder - but we are constantly told and reminded that this is WRONG. There isn’t ever a moment where it’s portrayed to be an acceptable, okay thing. We, as readers, are repeatedly told that it is horrific and inhumane for these people with affinities to be sold off to the highest bidder for the exclusive use of their powers to their own benefit. In fact, there is an entire Revolution brewing against it, a revolution that the heroine, unknowingly at first, comes to be a part of. We know it’s wrong, she knows its wrong, the greedy assholes buying these affinities know it’s wrong too, which is why they wear masks to cover their faces and hide their identities. Is it meant to cause some sort of feeling of revulsion at how horrible these people are? Probably. And it does that. Some are even pitted against each other, in a survival of the fittest way, kind of like how the Gladiators did back then. This plot point was only meant to show what’s wrong with the Empire and expose the greed and unjustness of a broken system. I don’t need to be angry at a plot point in a book in order to validate my own beliefs against it.

Moving on to the rest of the book, it was an enjoyable read. I felt like I was on the journey through blood, sweat, and tears with Ana and Ramson. Ramson was the surprising comedic relief I didn’t expect and he was definitely my favorite character throughout the entire story. I admired his street-smarts and ruthlessness and later on, I admired him for growing so exponentially as a character. I wish the romance wasn’t so underwhelming, but I’ll take what I can get. Ana had less character growth for me. Personally, I thought she stayed essentially the same. On a quest for information and revenge, she had a very linear path to the ending, despite all of the obstacles and surprises that came her way, and I thought she achieved everything she set out to achieve. I didn’t love her as much as I hoped, in fact, I was almost indifferent to her. Ramson is what made her more appealing in my eyes, but again, I was hoping for more with her. She had all this power, so much bloodlust, and yet she continued to use her powers with little to no consequence even though she knew it wasn’t always the right thing to do. I’m sure the next book (if we actually get to read it), will give her more room to grow into the woman/empress we all hope she’ll be.

This is a random note but I loved the mentions of ptichye molokos as they were my favorite sweets growing up. Brownie points for making my mouth water every time it was mentioned in this. Also, one nit-picky note on Russian surnames names is that they’re almost always gender-based - Anastacya Mikhailov should actually be Mikhailova. And while I get this takes place in a fantasy/made-up Cyrilian Empire and not necessarily a Russian one, there are too many Russian references for my brain not to connect a Cyrilian Empire to a Russian Empire, and so, “Mikhailov” was one of the things nagging me throughout.

I'm not comfortable reviewing this book given the fact that the author has chosen to pull the book. I did read the first chapter and I found the writing good and the characters intriguing. I'm hopeful the author will rework this book or put out something new in the future. I'm going to rate this a neutral three stars.

Your Affinity does not define you. What defines you is how you choose to wield it."

As many of you may know by now, this book has apparently been embroiled in what I suppose is considered a scandal. I say apparently because I personally have only heard of the incident through second hand sources here on Goodreads and have not in fact been the issue on Twitter. So please understand I cannot to speak to that issue. I am just here to give my honest review on the book I read.

This book tells the story of Ana, the fallen princess for Cyrilia, who, due to her affinity for controlling blood, is forced to flee the palace after being accused of murdering her own father. She embarks on a journey for justice, seeking to find the man truly responsible for her father's demise, which after all long search puts her on a collision course with Ramson Quicktongue - con-man extraordinaire. An uneasy alliance to formed as these two journey through the kingdom in search of justice and vengeance.

So I'll say this, the writing itself is rather average. There is nothing particularly stellar or memorable about the style of writing. But it gets the point across and still carries the story along just fine.

For those who want the warning, yes this book does contain bloodshed and violence. I mean, it's called Blood Heir. It'd be more surprising if there was no bloodshed. And yes, there is mention of slavery, or, as it is referred to in this book, Affinite indenturement. That being said, it is not slavery based on race or skin color. Because in the book it did not seem to matter where the Affinites were from or what they looked liked, if they had a useful affinity they were captured by Affinite brokers, essentially slave traders, and sold to the highest bidder.

Now I want this to be clear, although slavery does take place in the book, in no way does this book treat slavery as anything but something morally wrong. Though our protagonist Ana is certainly quite ignorant to how significant of an issue it is in her country. Due her privilege, she has never truly come face to face with the crime and corruption that runs rampant through the cities. She initially believes the issue far and few, blinding believing that the Whitecoats, the Imperial Guard, protects against threats such as Affinite indenturement. But it does not take too long, after the book starts, for her to realize just how wrong and out of touch she is.

"Another one, she thought helplessly, and it was as though the world she had seen for the past eighteen years were slowly peeling away to reveal the truth of what it was. How many times had she purchases something from someone who might have been forced into a sham contract? How many indentured Affinites had she waved at in the crowds when she had traveled with her father to see her empire as a child?

If Affinite indenturement was so rampant, why had she never heard it discussed in the Palace, at Court, with all of Papa's Imperial Advisors? Why had none of it been mentioned in textbooks?"

I'll be honest, initially I was a bit annoyed with Ana for being so naive, but after I read the passage above I came to realize that it was done purposefully. It is part of Ana's journey, discovering the wrongness of her world. Understanding that because of her privilege she was shielded from the horrors that everyday people had to face. Because, although she certainly suffered for being an Affinite, there were those out there who suffered just as much, if not more. Because unlike her they did not have a warm bed to go back to or a proper roof over their head. They did not have anyone, servants or family members, to take care of them after they were beaten or sold or abused.

The first step to fixing a problem is recognizing there is a problem. And this was Ana's moment of recognition.

"There was nothing, absolutely nothing, forgivable about human beings who chose to put children in cages."

For those who are upset saying that it was wrong of the author to kill off May, I just have to say that this has been a long used plot device. The killing off of a character close to the protagonist to propel them towards a greater purpose. And in no way did it feel like the author killed May simply because she was a person of color. If anything I think it more because she was a child, an innocent child who had absolutely no say in being born with an ability. But because of it was stolen from her homeland and forced in to slavery. She died after standing her ground, imploring Ana that no matter what she would not abandon her fellow Affinites to the auction house. She died protecting someone she loved, Ana. I do not consider that a pointless or meaningless death.

Ana & Ramson
"Thank you for coming after me. Thank you for fighting for me. Thank you for saving my life."
---
"Don't die, Witch," he said.
"Don't get kidnapped," she replied.
I adore these two. Their threats. Their banter.

But their serious talks were just as important. Such as the moment where Ana asks Ramson if he was ever an Affinite broker. To which he answers, no, he was not. And yet he also makes it clear that he is more truly innocent. Because although he never did so himself, he knew it was happening and did nothing. He continued to work for the man behind it all. And that was its own sort of wrongness. Guilt by association.

I think what I enjoyed most about this book is in fact how gray everything was. Ana and Ramson both, at their cores, have goodness in them. But they have both done their share of terrible things. Killed, lied and hurt people. All in the name of justice and revenge. And while I certainly rooted for them the entire time. I know they're not innocent. They may not be the heroes the people deserve or want, but they are the heroes these people need.

This was one of my heavily anticipated 2019 releases and I was of course super ecstatic when I finally got an eARC for this. An Anastasia retelling is really one that I needed plus the sheer amount of diversity in this book had me. It's actually my 2019 reading goal to read more books from diverse authors, and most especially from Asian authors (since I'm 100% Asian as well) However, I've seen the issues in Twitter circulating this book; I haven't read it yet and picked on what's wrong with it but I trust the bloggers that I follow. And not only that but these bloggers had previously hyped up this book thinking it would give a proper representation for POC. I just felt sad for the author, but I think it's a quite wise decision for her to take matters seriously and responded to the book community. I just hope the author will stay strong and continue writing despite this major setback in her writing career. Amelie Zhao is still growing and I hope she's able to publish more diverse books soon with her new perspectives.

No Review for Blood Heir, because the book's publication has been pushed back for an infinite amount of time.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

If you are just looking for a quick verdict, then here it is. I liked this book. It didn’t rock my world but it’s a perfectly decent YA novel – rather better written and thought out than many. I prefer more in the way of sub-plots, especially for a nearly 500 page book, but if you like fantasy and you’re happy with fairly linear plots, give this a go. (Assuming, of course, you get the chance after recent events!)

<b>What I liked</b>
It’s an engaging, enjoyable fantasy story with an important message.
The setting is interesting.
There’s plenty of action. I quite like the idea of Affinites and different powers so that was all inside my wheelhouse.

<b>What I didn’t like quite so much</b>
The plot is very linear - this is personal preference but I love sub plots and clever diversions.
The characters weren’t quite as developed as I personally like.
There was a lot of tell both in explaining character back story and in terms of ‘he was the most infamous criminal’ etc with very little evidence to back up such claims in terms of action. In fact, for a criminal mastermind and a powerful Affinite princess, both Ransom and Ana make some of the stupidest decisions I’ve ever seen which leads to them being captured over and over and over…
It’s another personal preference one, but I felt there was no chemistry between the two MCs, while the narrative still telegraphs a future romance. (Spoiler alert - there’s no romance in this book - which actually was quite refreshing.)
Ana wields her power like a sledgehammer. I would have preferred the sledgehammer approach to be interspersed with the micro scalpel approach. It’s not always necessary to pull someone’s lungs out through their rib cage, sometimes you can just stop blood flow to the brain for ten seconds and knock them out.
We are not given enough time to form an attachment to a character before she dies. I’d also question whether she actually needed to die at all, since it didn’t add to Ana’s character arc and I think the killed off character would have added more if she’d lived.
I prefer lusher, more richly evoked world building in epic fantasy.

Despite this, it’s still a good book. I know mistakes were made over the Russian naming conventions but since no one has read a finished copy, that might have well been corrected in a finished draft. Overall, I would recommend this to YA fantasy fans and I’d read the next in the series.

**********************************************

If you want a longer, more detailed look at whether the criticism levelled at this book has any foundation, read on.

*** SPOILERS BELOW**

<b>No matter what she did, no matter how good she tried to be, she always ended up as the monster</b>
This quote could almost be applied to the author, considering the treatment she has recently received. Not merely at the hands of strangers, but by a large segment of the bookish community (especially twitter) and by her colleagues.
In case you missed the controversy, <i>Blood Heir</i> is now on indefinite hold after being called out for ‘anti-blackness and bigotry’ as well as plagiarism. Amelie Wen Zhao responded with extraordinary grace, publically apologised and has asked Delacorte Press not to publish her book, due for a June 2019 release, at this time. I applaud Zhao for having the courage of her convictions. It’s no small thing to give up a lifelong dream in order to be true to your own moral code. That said, I wish she hadn’t done it.
All of the quotes I have used are from the ARC I received from NetGalley, unless otherwise stated. The bold and italics are mine. If <i>Blood Heir</i> is ever published, please be aware that the text is subject to change.
A final thought, and you must draw your own conclusions, the main review that first slammed this book appears to be from a recently created account, the user of which has currently rated only 26 books and reviewed only 1. That doesn’t mean her review is less valid. Perhaps she a new GR user, who simply felt strongly enough about this book to actually review it. I do find the timing coincidental though. There is nothing wrong with someone holding the opinion that this book is bigoted, by the way. The problem is in the weighting that is given to that single opinion and the consequent actions taken.

This is a big problem with ‘calling out and cancelling’ culture. It should be an absolute last resort. And maybe think about who and what you’re applying a ‘call out’ to. For example, a well-known, influential and consequently powerful writer who uses the convention circuit to sexually prey on young, new, not yet established and consequently vulnerable writers, who has shown he won’t stop – a ‘call out’ is in order. On the other hand, a debut author who may have made a diversity faux pas in a book very few people have yet read? How about a ‘call in’? Instead of publically dragging a book before it’s even published, we could get in touch with the publisher and through them the author, and say ‘hey, I found this problematic and here’s why.’ I know I’m like a broken record but <b>‘just because you are offended, it doesn’t mean you are right.’</b>
Have your say, but there’s no need to gather the townsfolk and arm them with torches and pitchforks. Readers will vote with their feet. If they don’t like a book, they will stop reading that author. This is the natural evolution of the author. They either adapt, giving readers what they want to read. Or their books get out competed by other books.

One of the gravest charges laid against the book, is how a black or black coded child, is sold at an auction where she dies for the white protagonist. Firstly, those events are presented out of context. It doesn’t really go down quite like that. Secondly, how sure are we the child is black? Here’s the first real description of May, the child in question.

<b>She was Bregonian. South Bregonian, it seemed, judging from the <i>tawny</i> color of her skin, a shade darker than Ramson’s own North Bregonian complexion. Her eyes were a brilliant turquoise, the color of the southern seas, and her brown curls rippled.</b>

I’m very, <i>very</i> white, so perhaps there are subtleties I’m missing, but May just doesn’t read as black to me in that description. (Nor does she read as white, Indian or any other specific race.) I’m not sure which, if any race, Zhao based the Bregonians on, but it doesn’t seem to be African or African American. As a sidebar, Ramson, one of the other MCs, is also Bregonian, but as you can see from the quote, with skin a shade lighter. There’s an argument to be made that both characters are poc coded, but I dispute whether either of them is black. At various later points, May is described as having bronze, tan or tawny skin. Her hair is always described as brown and curly. Both attributes which could be used to describe many different races, including Caucasian.

Here’s the first description of the allegedly white MC:

<b>He frowned as he brushed aside a lock of her dark hair, casting a suspicious look at the sharp lines of her cheekbones and the bold dash of her mouth against her dust-gold skin. She was a mix of the pale-skinned Northern Cyrilians and the tawny-skinned Southern Cyrilians who dwelled in the Dzhyvekha Mountains</b>

Again, my own extreme pallor aside, Ana reads more as if she might be mixed race from that description, rather than specifically white.
In fact, aside from Yuri – a third tier character – all of the characters in this book appear to be poc, with Linnet reading as Asian. I understand that it’s a privilege to not always have to scrutinise text looking for someone who looks like me, because as a white woman, I am represented many times in many books. So what for a white person might seem a lot of aggravation over merely a book, is in fact something fundamentally important and sensitive for those who have searched in vain to find themselves portrayed as the heroes. But in my opinion, while racial characteristics are not completely nailed down here, the book is peopled with poc characters. Maybe Zhao should have clarified racial characteristics further. It’s understandable that she wanted to write a book in which skin colour and ethnicity had no bearing, but that very desire seems to be what has allowed a misunderstanding. Perhaps it was especially difficult to stomach for some reviewers since the indentured Affinites in this book come from all races.

<i>The ‘other’ and the power issue.</i>

I get this argument. There is something flawed about a piece of fiction showing those born with magic or special powers as the oppressed. It doesn’t make logical sense on the surface because historically, those with power of whatever kind, have done the oppressing. Having said that, the witch trials (all over the world and especially in Europe during the middle ages, not just Salem) were about persecuting a group of people who were perceived to have power. Many of them did in fact have some power - knowledge (as in the cunning women, midwives and herb wives), appearance (I hate that women especially were tortured and killed for being very beautiful or very ugly, and basically died for how they affected the male libido, but it happened), independence (how dare anyone choose to exist outside the sanctions of the Church or practice a religion other than the prescribed one. How dare women choose not to marry. Or people have political opinions that went against the norm. Oh and the harvest was bad so someone is cursing the crops - could it be that unpopular person who thinks for herself?) or some other influence. Many were wealthy and/ or widowed. So they did have some power, it was just never going to be enough to save them when milk soured or plague descended.
Zhao’s depiction of the Affinites seems to tap into this. The ‘others’ amongst us, who don’t fit in with the norm and are shunned and/ or used because of it. Honestly, I don’t think it was especially nuanced, particularly since the Affinites we actually see are doing things like tearing people apart or summoning winds. But those are supposedly rare, strong Affinites. The majority are just people with a little something extra - like the so called witches of the middle ages with their herbcraft; power, but not enough to actually save themselves.
Incidentally, many books and films use the magic wielders or the mutants as metaphors for the ‘other’, and show them side lined and oppressed. (X-men anyone?) So why is Zhao getting it in the neck?

<b>But curing an Affinity was like trying to change the color of someone’s skin or the way someone loved.</b>

Some people have complained at the lack of diversity vis a vis disabled characters and LGBTQIAP+ characters. I like to see characters that represent me too. However, an author does not owe you representation. They owe you a good story. That’s it. If it’s a deal breaker for you, don’t read the book. We need to not turn every book into a tick box exercise of diversity bingo. You don’t get good diversity representation that way, you get tokenism. I would rather a book did the representation it did cover well, than shoehorned in a disabled or LGBT character for the sake of it.

<b>Imperial Patrols, who were supposed to inspect shipments, had filled their pockets with goldleaves from the traffickers and turned their backs. And the children would become phantoms indentured in this foreign empire, with no identity, no home, and no one to turn to…</b>

If I haven’t made myself massively unpopular already, I’m probably about to. Chattel slavery predates written history. (In fact the word ‘slave’ originates from the Medieval Latin word ‘Esclavus’ which became permuted to ‘Slav’ during the Middle Ages when the Slavic people were conquered and enslaved again and again by many European countries.) The importation of slaves from Africa to America was when chattel slavery became institutionalised and property law could be, and was, applied to people owned by other people. Why the history lesson? Because America is not the only viewpoint. One uniquely appalling thing does not blot out other uniquely appalling things. There is a thriving slave trade going on in the world today with an estimated 12 to 28 million people currently enslaved. This includes forced or abduction marriages, sex trafficking, forced labour, bonded labour, debt bondage and indenture, and child soldiering. In fact, next time you tuck into a bar of chocolate, unless you are super picky about where it comes from, chances are the cocao beans have been harvested using child slave labour. The big, well known chocolate manufacturers are some of the worst offenders. Something to bear in mind when you sink your teeth into a tasty bar of fruit and nut.
Debt bondage and indenture are forms of chattel slavery that are <i>still</i> being practised today. One of the big culprits is South East Asia. Not being familiar with this state of affairs does not mean that it isn’t happening.

</b>“The winners write history, love. Ever wondered why the topic of Affinite indenturement is so scarcely seen in a Cyrilian textbook?”</b>

So here’s the thing. Many people are very sensitive about the American slave trade, quite understandably. It was a terrible thing and it never should have happened. We should all feel uncomfortable and upset about it. Of course an event like that would leave scars on collective racial memory. No one, least of all me, is suggesting that anyone surrender their very justifiable anger and sadness over the American slave trade. However, to suggest that it be regarded as the <i>only</i> form of chattel slavery makes no sense. How can you be upset about historical slavery and yet not be moved by the plight of those enslaved right now?

<b>“Did you ever…were you ever one of them? A broker?”
“No. But watching it happen is another crime in itself, is it not?”</b>


So does Zhao’s portrayal strike resonance with the modern reader? I think it does. At times the narrative was a little too vague and at others a little heavy handed. The point is, it’s not supposed to represent the American slave trade. It never was. It represents the debt bondage and indenture of SE Asia. Of course there are resonances with other forms of slavery, but who else is talking about indenture right now? Maybe we could take a step back and listen to person telling us about the situation in her homeland. The following quote is sadly very apposite for our times:

<b>There was nothing, absolutely nothing, forgiveable about human beings who chose to put children in cages.</b>

Remind you of anything that happened recently?

<i>Plagiarism?</i>

This is a hefty charge to drop on an author’s doorstep. In this instance, I think those who have used the word perhaps don’t fully understand it. There’s talk of how the con-man, Ransom Quicktongue, is basically Kaz Brekker from Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology. And of various other similarities with other characters and situations. So let’s talk archetypes. An archetype, in literary terms, is a persistent symbol, motif or a set of characteristics recurring within narratives. Ramson does share one or two characteristics with Kaz Brekker. He also shares characteristics with Fagin. And Han Solo. And Mal Reynolds. And Locke Lamora. And every other con-artist-trickster-loveable thief-diamond in the rough-space cowboy-devil with a heart of gold character out there. Zhao draws from the same archetypal pool for his characteristics but he’s still a unique character. Writers often start with an archetype and flesh outwards. That’s just characterisation 101. It isn’t plagiarism.
There’s been a lot of talk about lifting lines from other sources. I’ve read all these other well-known sources. I’ve also read the sources that these great works of originality borrowed ideas and even phrases from. There is nothing new under heaven – originality is in how you repackage what is already known. So when Zhao has May and then Ana repeatedly say ‘Don’t go where I can’t follow’, maybe it’s not super original but then it wasn’t to begin with. People seem upset because they think it was stolen from Tolkien:

<i>“Frodo, Mr. Frodo!" he called. "Don't leave me here alone! It's your Sam calling. Don't go where I can't follow!”</i> The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) by J.R.R.Tolkien

But then Tolkien himself was paraphrasing the Gospel of John (I’ve used the King James version because I happen to enjoy the Jacobean English):


<i>Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.</i> King James Bible

This is not plagiarism. This is simply repackaging an idea that already belonged in the common domain. Perhaps those who have recklessly slung plagiarism accusations at this new author, haven’t read widely enough to know?
What about when May dies and Ana sings to her?
The <i>Death Song</i> trope is incredibly well known. Sure, it appears in The Hunger Games You know where else the Death Song Trope appears? Tolkien – Aowyn sings a funereal song to honour Theodin’s son’s death. Or what about Richard Wagner’s Tristen and Isolde? When Isolde dies she does it loudly through an extremely fraught and lengthy aria. Or the song ‘A Little Fall of Rain’ which signifies Eponine’s death in Les Miserables, which she and Marius sing as a duet? Are we going after Herbert Kretzmer now?

Tropes are tropes for a reason. They have a special place in the reader’s psyche. If using YA and other tropes was the same as plagiarism then all writers might as well pack up and go home, because you could scarcely write a book without them. In addition, using tropes isn’t a bad thing. There is nothing wrong with giving your readers more of what they already love. It’s how you package them that makes a book original and new.

<i>My Verdict</i>

I don’t want to shut anyone up about this book, whether they’ve got a contradictory viewpoint to mine or not. It’s perfectly possible that there are things here that I am missing, or that I am currently ill adapted to see. I read even more critically and closely than I would have done ordinarily, looking at all those issues raised in negative reviews. All I can find the author guilty of is writing a YA novel, and earnestly trying to entertain and inform her audience about the plight of those in debt bondage using YA tropes. Perhaps she could have been a little clearer in some areas but to be honest, her mistakes are only those that I would expect to see in a debut YA novel, and there’s less of them than many YA authors make. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, as long as they don’t try to make that opinion the basis for a universal judgement.

Due to this book being pulled from publication, I will not be giving feedback. If this book gets a new publication date, I will be happy to read and review the revised version. I understand the concerns and look forward to the changes being made.

Blood Heir was pulled from publication therefore I wasn't able to give feedback on the book. However, I am still very much looking forward to reading and reviewing the new and revised version of this when it becomes available.

The Blood Heir was pulled from publication before I got the chance to read it. If it is ever put back on the road to publication I would love to be able to read and review the updated version.

Saddens me to the core that this book won't be published at least in the near future because it is one hell of a good book.

It's been on my radar ever since it was announced in 2018. It sounded so good - a heavy dose of fantasy with all the usual bravery of YA characters with a touch of history from Anastasia elements and let me tell you, I was not disappointed.

The world-building is wonderful; Zhao provides enough information on the history, magic system, the harsh world, and the variety of nations without being info-dumpy. At the same time, he also left some mystery for the future installments as well. This is truly how the world-building of the first book in a series should be presented. Accompanied with simple and engaging prose, even with the slow pacing, I found that there was always a sense of suspense while reading the book. I was addicted.

No pages were wasted; the book was utterly tension-packed and contained a very endearing cast. The magic breathing off these pages is only enhanced by the beautiful cover candy. To say I was anticipating the sequel is an understatement and I STILL hope to see that release one day.

Due to Blood Heir being removed from publication, I am unable to review this title at this time. However, I would absolutely love the chance to read and review a revised version should this book return in the future.

Because this book's publishing is now up in the air, I have decided to refrain from publicly posting any review or opinions. However, I did finish reading the book and wanted to mention my thoughts through an internal platform.

1. I really enjoyed the book and for that piece alone, I am sorry that it's publication status is in question. I did feel, as with any book, that there are pieces that could have been improved on. The middle section's pacing lagged a little and there were several elements that have been done by other authors in better ways. While I enjoyed the plot, I wasn't pleased with how it ended in the same place it began.
2. To touch (very briefly) on some of the controversy, I didn't see the specific scene mentioned by some to be as problematic as it was made out to be, however I can see how it wasn't a good look. If the portrayal or scene caused hurt or harm to some, then that needs to be considered and I'm glad that Zhao and Delacorte are taking that aspect seriously. Clearly, however, a further conversation needs to be had in the book publishing community about some of these topics and how we as reviewers respond to something that is problematic (or perceived as problematic). Further, I am really curious about which books and authors are being viewed through this very critical lens, when the aforementioned scene is extremely similar to what happened with Rue in The Hunger Games.

That's about all I have right now. Thank you for allowing me to read the e-ARC, regardless of the circumstances.

Due to this book being pulled from publication,I will not be reading and giving feedback. If this book gets a new publication date,I will be happy to read and review the revised version.

Due to this book being pulled and in respect to the author, I will not be reading this ARC or giving feedback. Hopefully I will get a chance to read an ARC of this book when it is made better and put up for publication again.

Have to rate this to close it out w/ harming my feedback ratio, so I'm going in the middle. I didn't have the opportunity to start the book before it was pulled, and since I haven't read it, I can't offer any editorial commentary. Thus, my star rating does not reflect my having read the book, or any opinions about the content.

I received a copy of this title from NetGalley and they asked only for an honest review. After seeing the controversy regarding the book a week ago and knowing the author has decided not to publish the book, I threw it right on the top of my to read pile and got started.
Now, please remember, everything on this earth offends someone. Everything can cause a controversy.

I have only one thing to say about this book. I loved it. I loved the characters, I loved the story, I love the world building. I wasn't certain about the romance in the novel, it was thrown together fairly quickly, but it didn't hurt the story. To be honest, the book could be just a little bit longer to add more of the romance into the story.

Overall, I think it was a very well done first novel. I really hope the author changes her mind and allows it to be published, because it was awesome.

The book isn't scheduled for release until June, so I will hold off on a more detailed review, I just wanted to post this information now to encourage the author to let the book be released. Thanks!